the depth of public outrage at Reynolds has been forced by popular outrage to attempt to resolve the matter.
They are clearly pushing for the Irish Supreme ourt to life the injunction, another "Irish solution to the problem.
But there are growing demands for a repeal of the amendment - a popular radio programme showed a large majority in favour. Now the Workers Party has backed the repeal, and have called for the resignation of the Attorney General.
The amendment was carried against a background of political instability in 1983. Chalthe left, the main parties were looking to the right for some stability.
Fianna Fail - the main bourgoois nationalist arty - readil greed with SPÚC to hold an anti-abortion referendum. They hoped to gain votes on a Catholicconservativeticket. But today populist Catholic nationalism has run its course.
Since 1983 the working class - and particularly women, YOUNG LADY. THAT A FETUS IS PRECIOUS AND SHOULD NOT BE ABORTED, EVEN AFTER RAPE. BE GIVEN MADEOUATE HOUSE. NAC demonstrate outside the irish Embassy youthand the rural poor - have suffered emigration and diminishing civil rights.
This has led to unprece dented political instability and alienation from the main parties witnessed in the election of Mary Robinson as President and the sizeable left vote.
SPUC, LIFE and others are contributing to the instability and damaging Ireland's profile in Europe. The politicians who once coveted them now want to take their distance from them, sisters. Demands for the lifting of the injunction and the repeal of the amendment are particularly important.
Dutch parliamentary complaints to the irish government lave received widespread and this is anotner channel for pressure.
As we go to press the rape victim's family are appealing against the injunction to the Supreme Court.
The strategy of both gover ment and opposition partics to be to sugar-coat the amendment enough to take the heat out of the without offending the church But such an outcome- which SPUC claims to favour - will not appease the forces of the right who will broaden their assault on women's rights as soon as the present crisis is over Nothing less than repeal will